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Brown awarded Medal of Honor for bravery by Cindy Abole Public Relations The midnight shift of July 10 began as a typical work day for Public Safety Officer Ernest Brown. But in the early morning hours, Brown and his fellow officers learned the value of professional training and patience even under the perilous line of gunfire.  PSO Ernest Brown receives the Medal of Honor from Dr. Greenberg and acting Public Safety Chief Tom Brown. On Aug. 27, Brown was publicly honored for his courage and gallantry by MUSC President Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., and acting Public Safety Chief Tom Brown in an on-campus ceremony that awarded him the Department of Public Safety and MUSC Medal of Honor. Brown, surrounded by his fellow officers and other police representatives in the community, is the first officer within department history to receive its highest, most prestigious award for bravery. “It’s rare to bestow the Medal of Honor on an individual,” said Chief Brown. “It’s only given in a single act of gallantry where an officer places the life of another above his own, in this case it was Lt. Capps.” Responding to a call for assistance at 3:50 a.m., Brown and fellow Public Safety officers Charles Davis, Larry Johnson, Lt. Ronald Capps and Capt. Sam Brown responded to a call for assistance from the Charleston City Police Department. They were ordered to create a security perimeter at MUSC Parking Garage #1 on President Street. After apprehending the first and second suspects near the scene, several officers continued in full bike pursuit of the third suspect, who was armed and periodically firing a Tech-9 semi-automatic weapon.  The suspect was later cornered behind an abandoned building at 216 Spring Street. Moments later, the words “I’m hit,” resounded above the police radio traffic. Lt. Capps was downed by gunfire to his lower leg, leaving him open and vulnerable to the suspect’s gunfire. Heart racing, Brown sprang across Spring Street and covered Lt. Capps’ body with that of his own until back-up police and ambulance arrived. Officer Brown “It was duck and dodge for the most part,” said Officer Brown, a shy and easy-going 35-year-old John’s Island native. “I wasn’t thinking about my personal safety at the time. I knew that an officer (Lt. Capps) was down and needed assistance, so I responded based on my instinct and training that I have acquired throughout the years by working in law enforcement.”  Brown’s reactions and skills were gained through training programs developed by Public Safety and the nationally-recognized South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy in Columbia. New MUSC Public Safety officers complete a state 40-hour state constables course, a prerequisite to attending the 9-week state justice academy training.  Brown worked previously with the joint public safety offices at the College of Charleston and MUSC and then briefly, in Florida, before returning to his home state. He completed his SCJA training in 1999. Despite its challenges, the incident has reminded Brown and his colleagues about the brotherhood that exists between them and other police officers and others in service. “They’re my brothers in uniform,” Brown said. “When something like this happened, I realized that I had to do what I did. It has taught me to always be prepared.”